Tender and juicy Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin coated with a blend of Italian spices and minced garlic, seared to lock in the flavors and quickly roasted in the oven.
If I'm ever asked what my favorite meal to cook is, I'd have to answer pork tenderloin.
The reasons are simple. Pork tenderloin is easy to cook, it's lean, it tastes great and is lovely to serve to guests.
This Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin recipe is tried and true. I coat the outside with a mixture of spices. Then I put a little oil in my skillet, add the pork to the pan and place it in the oven to cook. The pork tenderloin cooks for 10 minutes on one side in a 450 degree oven, then I flip the pork over, reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees and roast the other side for 15 minutes. Easy, right?
One thing I love about pork tenderloins is that they easily lend themselves to a variety of flavors. You can even mix together a few of your favorite spices and create your own flavorful rub. I happen to love Italian seasoned pork so I made my own spice mix of dried basil, dried thyme, dried oregano, garlic, salt and black pepper.
Pork tenderloin is usually sold in individual packages in the meat section of the grocery store. Usually there are 2 tenderloins in one package. One tenderloin usually weighs about a pound and is the ideal size if you're cooking for two. When you cook two tenderloins, you may be lucky enough to have extra for a couple of lunches and at least one dinner or two.
If you're looking for a dinner recipe that's easy to make yet looks as if you worked for hours in the kitchen, this is your recipe.
Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons crushed black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Place the skillet in the oven on a middle rack and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. The skillet will heat along with the oven.
- Pat the pork tenderloins dry with a paper towel and set aside. Combine the garlic, basil, oregano, black pepper, salt and thyme in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture onto all sides of each of the pork tenderloins.
- Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven using oven mitts and pour the oil in the pan. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Place the pork in the pan. (You can bend them to fit inside the pan if they're a little long). Return the pan to the oven. Roast for 10 minutes.
- Flip the pork tenderloins over. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and continue roasting another 15 minutes. The pork is done when it's internal temperature registers 145 degrees in the thickest part of the meat.
- Transfer the pork to a large plate and cover with foil. Let them rest 15 minutes before serving.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
